An efficient route for the synthesis of phosphorus-selenium macro-heterocycles.

Four-membered ring [PhP(Se)(μ-Se)]2 (Woollins' reagent, WR) reacts with disodium alkenyl-diols followed by in situ ring-closure reaction with appropriate dibromoalkanes affording a series of unusual nine- to fifteen-membered organoselenophosphorus macrocycles bearing the O-P-Se-Cn-Se-P-O or O-P-Se-Cn-O-P-Se linkage.